Darcy sister connection
by merdarkandtwisty
Summary: Mr. Darcy has an elder sister who not many people know of. She left the shelter of Pemberley to marry a man in trade, causing a rift in the family but older now she has a connection to Elizabeth. How do the story change if Mrs. Gardiner is really the hidden Darcy sister?
1. Chapter 1

I don't own Pride and Prejudice

"Dear are you well?"

Madeline Gardiner turned her troubled eyes to her husband at his hushed words, as they lay in their bed at Longbourn. "I fear I must tell my secret to Lizzy?"

"Your secret?" Edward Gardiner looked at his wife wondering what she was talking about.

"Yes my secret, my parentage, my family."

Mr. Gardiner was shocked. "Are you sure my dear?"

"No." Mrs. Gardiner gave a small shake of her head, but I fear I must, for if I don't it could all end in disaster. Lizzy seems to be infatuated with Mr. Wickham."

"Who is Mr. Wickham my dear?"

Mrs. Gardiner grimaced, "He is the son of my father's old steward. After my father's death he was to take over the living at Kympton, but instead Fitzwilliam gave him a sum of three thousand pounds at his own request saying he wanted to study the law. I only know this because I overheard Fitzwilliam and Wickham after my father's funeral."

"well I'm not seeing the great harm here." Mr. Gardiner said

Mrs. Gardiner sighed, "The great harm is that last summer Fitzwilliam was going to send Georgiana to us do you remember?"

"Yes. You were nearing your confinement though, and gave birth to Grace right before, so he sent her to Ramsgate instead I believe."

"Yes that is right, she went to Ramsgate with her companion Mrs. Younge. A few weeks after she arrived there I received a letter from William. As you know he and our cousin Richard were named her Guardians, though my father put in a provision that I was to help in any way I could. "

Mr. Gardiner nodded urging her to go on.

"It seems that Georgiana had met with Mr. Wickham while on Holiday. He'd convinced her to run off with him and elope. He wanted her thirty thousand pounds of course, he'd spent every pence that William had given him from his inheritance. Luckily Darcy showed up just in time, nothing happened the companion was fired and I helped find a new one, but now Wickham is here in Hertfordshire trying to win over Lizzy. She's falling under his spell and it seems he's told her some tales of the Darcy family, how they were unkind to him. She believes these tales because of the way my brother has treated her. Oh you know how Fitzwilliam can be, so proud, like ice so disdainful."

"Yes I believe even though he was but seven when we married he swore never to speak to you again because you had made his mama cry." Edward recalled a day in a distant past.

"Yes of course Mama was upset that I wasn't marrying in our circle, and father threatened to withhold my dowry, but in the end they were my parents. I loved them, and in their way they loved me. They just asked that I hide my connections as best as I could, it wasn't hard. Of course people in Derbyshire knew of me, but as I never officially came out in society most people forgot that the Darcy's had an elder Daughter. Now whenever you hear a whisper about a Darcy daughter people assume its Georgiana." She shook her head, "I also feel bad, for I fear Georgiana was trying to emulate me. She saw my courtship with you as romantic. She wanted that. She is so young though, that she didn't understand the complication that comes with that. I am Happy with you, of course I am but I thought of my decision long and hard before saying yes. She is still so young, so sheltered.

Mr. Gardiner took his wife into his arms, as she came out of her recollection of the past. Yet Fitzwilliam, and by extent Georgiana came back to you."

"Yes," she whispered. "They did, after mama died, when William was but thirteen and Georgiana just a newborn father reached out to me. He didn't know how to help his children, me included."

Mr. Gardiner nodded remembering that time so long ago. They had two young children and Madeline had taken their children to Pemberley for an extended visit. Getting to know her younger brother, holding her baby sister. Since then William while not close had turned to her in times of need, they had a bond one she wished was closer but even now five years after their fathers passing he still had trouble over coming her fall in society. She knew he loved her, but being master of Pemberley being above reproach was so tightly engrained in him.

"So you will tell Lizzy the truth in hopes she'll stay away from Mr. Wickham?"

"Yes I trust Lizzy not to tell my secret. Even if she did a part of me is tired of hiding so much, it's been over twenty years since I last called Pemberley home, Edward I don't regret marrying you, but a part of me misses the girl I used to be.

Pulling her closer Edward kissed her cheek. He knew how much his wife had given up to marry him, and everyday he was thankful she did. "Darling I love you, I'd give you the world if I could. I hope that talking to Lizzy might give you some measure of comfort that neither I nor William can give you. You've always been close to her."

"Yes, she reminds me much of myself as a young girl, Head strong opinionated, so full of life and idea's." A smile graced her lips again. "I fear our Alice will be that way in a few years." She chuckled

"Oh help me." Mr. Gardiner chuckled with her. "Now my dear why don't you get some sleep. In the morning you can find time to speak to Lizzy tell her your tale. Tell her the truth, I hope it helps the both of you."

"Thank you." Madeline snuggled deep into her husband's embrace letting sleep come to her wondering how the talk she was to have with her favorite niece would end tomorrow. Would it shock Lizzy to find out the truth? She was sure it would. She had lived it and was still surprised at the things she'd lived.

A/N made a few changes. Took the word Okay out as it seemed to offend some people's sensibilities LOL also someone questioned if that would make Lizzy Darcy's Niece. No Lizzy is only related to Madeline though her marriage to Edward since Edward is Mrs. Bennet's brother.


	2. Chapter 2

I don't own Pride and Prejudice

The next morning Madeline found herself up early and alone in the breakfast parlor. As she had hoped Lizzy found her way downstairs before the rest of the family.

"Morning aunt." She smiled picking the food she desired from the sideboard and sitting down at the table.

"Lizzy Dear after you have broken your fast may I interest you in a walk through the countryside.

"Of course aunt I could never pass up nice walk in the crisp morning air." Elizabeth said before turning her attention to the food in front of her.

After they had both finished Mrs. Gardiner stood up. "Are you ready Elizabeth?"

"Yes of course," Lizzy looked at her aunt confused at the use of her formal name.

"There is a bit of a chill in the air you may wish to have your cloak."

"Yes of course." Just let me go get it from my chamber." She hurried from the room on quick feet passing Jane on the way.

"Lizzy where are you going?" Jane called after her.

"Aunt Gardiner wants to take a walk with me so I must hurry to our chamber and grab my cloak."

"Oh." Jane didn't get a chance to say more as her sister hurried to her destination.

Jane made her way into the breakfast parlor "Hello aunt I was wondering if I could speak to you?"

"Oh of course Jane dear, right now though I'm going for a walk with Lizzy but you know what my darling why don't you join us." Madeline figured if she told Lizzy, Lizzy would tell Jane and in a way the secret effected Jane, because Darcy was Bingley''s friend and seemed to have some influence over the man, which had hurt one of her precious nieces.

"Yes of course aunt let me just go and fetch my wrap." With those words Jane herself was hurrying up to the chamber she shared with Lizzy. "Lizzy please wait for me." Jane said catching her sister on the landing.

"Of course Jane are you going with us?"

"Yes aunt asked me to. I think I'll enjoy the fresh air."

"You are a tad pale the air will do you well." Lizzy stood on the landing waiting for Jane to come back down.

A few moments later both sisters descended the stairs. "Are you ready?" Mrs. Gardiner smiled at them.

"Yes." Jane and Lizzy echoed each other. The party of three left Longbourn just as the rest of the family started to awaken and come down the stairs to breakfast.

The party of three walked along the Longbourn gardens enjoying the crisp morning air "May we sit down." Mrs. Gardiner motioned to a bench nestled among the roses. Both girls sat on either side of her as she took the spot in the middle. She reached over and patted each of their hands.

"Aunt are you feeling well?" Lizzy asked

"I am well my dear." She swallowed, taking a deep breath of the fresh air hoping it would fortify her. "I have a story to tell you."

"Yes." Lizzy urged her to continue.

"When I was young I didn't come from Lambton as I've always told you." She put her hands in her lap twisting them. "I actually came from a place outside of it, a place you have heard of recently."

"Where did you come from aunt?" Jane

Looking up at the blue Hertfordshire sky Madeline bit her lip. She turned to her nieces. "I came from an estate called Pemberley."

"Oh were your parent's one of the staff?" Lizzy asked. Her mind whirling with hearing the name of the Darcy estate spoken so softy after all the loud boastful voice of Miss Bingley. Or the stern voice of Mr. Darcy.

"No my dear." Mrs. Gardiner shook her head gently. "My parents were not part of the staff. My parents were the Master and Mistress of Pemberley."

Both Jane and Elizabeth let out sharp gasps. "Aunt what are you saying?" Jane sounded a bit panicked.

"Are you related to Mr. Darcy?" Lizzy was trying to wrap her mind around the new information she'd just been given.

"I am yes," Mrs. Gardiner gave a small smile and took Lizzy's hand. "He is my younger brother."

Elizabeth's eyes got wide. She thought of the things she'd said to her aunt about the man who happened to be her brother. "I don't understand I spent much time in Mr. Darcy's company these last few weeks. He mentioned his younger sister Georgiana but never an elder sister. Do you share the same parents?"

"Yes my mother and father are also his. You see my dear when I was seventeen I met my dear Edward I feel in love with him one summer well my family was in London. This was before I officially debuted into society. We wanted to marry longed to marry. My parents weren't happy. The actually forbid it at one point, but in the end they allowed it. You see my father is just as prideful as the Mr. Darcy you know, but one difference is my father had a soft spot for his children. He couldn't bear to see me so sad. In the end we were granted permission, but I wasn't allowed to be in society. The society I was raised in. I was okay with that, I just wanted Edward. So we married. My brother was but seven. Georgiana not yet born and I didn't come back for many years. It wasn't until my mother's passing after Georgiana's birth that I returned."

"Aunt you don't have to say more." Lizzy squeezed her hand.

"Yes I do. I was around for a little while after that but I had Alice and Robert. My life was in London. The Mr. Darcy you know was away at Eton most of the year and my father had hired a nurse for Georgiana. It wasn't really until my father passed away five years past that I became close to my siblings. Fitzwilliam was raised in a way by our father. A father who loved me but who still had his ideas of social order. My mother well she did try to tamper him a bit was always sickly. The doctors told her to have no more kids after him."

She sighed thinking of her mother, they had corresponded on a fairly regular basis after her wedding. She missed her mother. The softness of her eyes, the sound of her laughter. The way her perfume smelled.

Elizabeth noticed her aunt had drawn in on herself. "Aunt what happened later?"

"Oh yes," Mrs. Gardiner came out of her memories. "You see after my father died he left young Georgiana to my brother and cousin's care with instructions for me to help. Me and Fitzwilliam have been building our relationship since." She sighed. "He isn't as bad as you think Lizzy. He really is a caring man. There is one more thing I want to tell you. It's about your friend Mr. Wickham."

"What about him?" Lizzy felt dizzy and hot trying to understand everything she'd been told. She looked at Jane who didn't look much better than she did.

"Lizzy I can't get into many details I'm sorry but you need to know that Mr. Wickham has lied to you. The things he's told you about Mr. Darcy are just not true. He didn't want that living and was compensated for it. He ran through the money, there is more to the story but that isn't my story to tell, just know don't trust him Lizzy whatever you don't trust him." Madeline pleaded with her.

Elizabeth took in the words her aunt said. She felt like everything she knew was false, it would take time to bring her world back into balance.

A/N okay so someone said Lizzy was Darcy's niece because you claimed the whole family and how Wickham calls Elizabeth sister. Yes that is true because he is married to Elizabeth's sister but he wouldn't call Georgiana sister. Or it's Wickham so he might like even though Darcy would call Charles brother as they are married to sister's he'd never call Caroline sister.

As for the age difference between the siblings. I figure the Darcy's had trouble conceiving and were So in my cannon. They had Madeline when they were young 19 struggled conceived Darcy 10 years later and then Georgiana 13 years after that which killed Mrs. Darcy at 42 .

The story is right after the Gardiner's show up for Christmas Darcy and the Bingley's are already gone and she hasn't seen Wickham in person.

Thanks for all the response.


	3. Chapter 3

I don't own Pride and prejudice.

"Elizabeth what do you think about what Aunt Gardiner told us?" Jane asked her sister that night as they sat at their vanity's brushing out their hair.

"It's a lot to think about." Elizabeth stared into the mirror. "Everything I thought to be true seems to be false and everything I thought to be false, true. It's hard to think of Wickham as the man Aunt says he is but I know she'd never lie to you or me."

"She isn't that way." Jane agreed. "it's so shocking to find out that her family is that of Mr. Darcy."

"Yes that is probably the most shocking revelation of all." Elizabeth sighed. "They are gone now though and who knows when we'll see them again."

"But what will you do about Mr. Wickham?"

"Try to avoid him." She shivered thinking of the way that man had almost taken her in.

"But Lizzy that would be the height of rudeness" Jane said scandalized.

"He lied to me. He lied to you he said some very harsh things about Mr. Darcy, things that are obviously false and you have to wonder why?"

"you don't think he knows of the connection do you?" Jane asked.

"No I don't see how when even I didn't know and I don't believe he's seen Aunt yet."

"Yes you are right I'm sure." Jane soothed. "Oh lizzy this is a disaster."

"We just don't associate Jane." Elizabeth held firm in her estimation. Hopefully Aunt stays out of the public much so Wickham does not see her and spill her secrets for that would be a shame."

"Do you really believe she would care?"

"I am not sure but I don't want to risk it."

"I doubt Mama knows of the connection."

"Oh no Mama couldn't know of the connection for she would have flaunted that all over Hertfordshire."

The two sisters fell into a deep sleep wondering what new revelations the morning light would bring them.

"Jane and Lizzie can I please speak to you both." Madelaine asked the next morning.

"Of course Aunt Gardiner." They said as they finished their breakfast and followed her to the gardens. "you aren't going to tell us any more secrets are you?" Elizabeth teased.

"No I think I have told you all or all you need to know anyway." She smiled. "I wanted to know if Jane would like to come back to London with your Uncle and I. then when we bring her back I was wondering if Lizzie would like to come to the lake district with us."

"Oh that sounds wonderful." Elizabeth clapped her hands.

"It really does." Jane agreed.

"That's settled then. "Jane why don't you pack your things so you are ready to go darling.

Jane jumped up and rushed off to do the task. "Lizzie are you okay?" Madeline asked her niece.

"Yes I'm just trying to understand all the information you gave me and Jane yesterday."

"I know it's a lot to take in my dear. I lived it and sometimes even I don't understand it." She patted her hand.

"Aunt I know you're leaving soon but I was hopping you'd indulge me and not go into town I fear Wickham will see you and tell all of Meryton your secret."

"Oh my dear all will be fine I didn't intent to leave Longbourn but even if I had Wickham can not hurt me." She smiled.

Elizabeth wasn't so sure but she assented to her aunt.

The Gardiner's and Jane left two days later. As for Elizabeth she was left at Longbourn to wonder about the elusive Mr. Wickham would he, could he cause issues she wasn't positive but she wasn't going to take chances. She went to town only with her sisters. If she saw the man she turned before he could see her, her sisters wondered why she was acting in that manner but she couldn't tell them and soon they found other things besides their sister's mood to tickle their fancy's.

A/N okay so it's been awhile and short chapter kind of to gap where I need to go. Next up off to Rosings. I know everything isn't perfect historically or otherwise but please do try to remember I do this for fun. I hope you enjoy the story. If you have anything you would like to see let me know.


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